Adjustable card holder

ABSTRACT

A card holder for holding and displaying cards is provided with adjusting means for handling different lengths of cards. The card holder comprises a rectangular box having a plurality of compartments and a cover slidably mounted on said box. The cover is provided with a plurality of slots which communicate with the said compartments and the cards are positioned in the compartments with a portion of the card projecting out of the said slots. In the preferred embodiment a plurality of partitioning members inclined to the vertical back wall of the box define the compartments. Guide members are provided on the cover and slidably engage the partitioning members. Reciprocating movement of the cover adjusts the length of the compartments between predetermined limits to accommodate different lengths of cards. Fastening means are provided for releasably fixing the cover in the adjusted position required.

United States Patent Stoian 1451 Sept. 19, 1972 [54] ADJUSTABLE CARD HOLDER [72] Inventor: Alexander Stoian, lll Raglan Ave.

Apt. 1606, Toronto, Ontario, Canada [22] Filed: April 26, 1971 [21] Appl.No.: 137,125

Primary Examiner-Robert W. Michell Assistant Examiner-Wenceslao J. Contreras Attorney-George H. Riches 5 7] ABSTRACT A card holder for holding and displaying cards is provided with adjusting means for handling different lengths of cards. The card holder comprises a rectangular box having a plurality of compartments and a cover slidably mounted on said box. The cover is provided with a plurality of slots which communicate with the said compartments and the cards are positioned in the compartments with a portion of the card projecting out of the said slots. In the preferred embodiment a plurality of partitioning members inclined to the vertical back wall of the box define the compartments. Guide members are provided on the cover and slidably engage the partitioning members. Reciprocating movement of the cover adjusts the length of the compartments between predetermined limits to accommodate different lengths of cards. Fastening means are provided for releasably fixing the cover in the adjusted position required.

3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PAIENTEDSEP 1 I 2 lnvenTor Alexander Srolan ADJUSTABLE CARD HOLDER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a card holder and more particularly to a card holder for holding and displaying cards and having adjusting means for handling different lengths of cards.

In the manual processing of data on cards, there exist a need for a card holder which is simple in construction but which is capable of handling the large variety of different length cards presently on the market. For example, standard series of cards are obtainable in lengths varying from 5% to 7 inches. Existing card holders of the type specified, in order to properly display the data on the card require a different size holder for each size of card. This results in increased costs due to the large number of holders required and results in inefficient handling of the cards.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a card holder having a plurality of compartments for holding and displaying cards and having means for manually adjusting the length of the compartments to handle different length of cards.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a card holder which is simple to operate in the manual adjustment of the length of the compartments.

It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a card holder which can be readily mounted for use in display systems incorporating a number of card holders.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a card holder which is simple and practical in construction and relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a card holder which may be fabricated from materials such as plastic to provide a lightweight unit which is portable and easy to handle.

To accomplish these and other objects there is provided a card holder for holding a plurality of cards which comprises a rectangular box having an open front including vertical side walls and a vertical back wall opposite the open front. A plurality of equally spaced partitioning members supported by the side walls and inclined upwardly relative to the back wall form a compartment between each pair of contiguous members.

A cover slidably mounted on the box closes off the open front and includes a front wall positioned parallel to and opposite the back wall of the box. The front wall of the cover is provided with a plurality of transverse slots, one of each slots opening into one of the compartments formed by the partitioning members.

Each of the cards are positioned in one of the compartments with its lower edge contacting the back wall of the box and its upper edge projecting out of the respective slot in the box cover.

Means are provided for manually reciprocating the box cover whereby the distance between the front wall and the back wall may be adjusted between predetermined limits to accommodate different lengths of cards. Fastening means are provided for releasably fixing the cover to the box at any desired position. In the preferred embodiment guide members are provided on the cover and slidably engage the partitioning members.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing will become apparent from the following detailed description, drawings and appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a fragmentary front elevation view of a card holder embodying the present invention showing the DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several figures, the preferred embodiment of a card holder constructed in accordance with the invention generally comprises a rectangular box designated by the reference numeral 10 and a cover 11 detachably secured thereon.

The walls forming the box 10 are conventional and may be of any suitable shape or construction. In the preferred embodiment the box 10 is provided with a back wall 12, side walls 13, an upper end wall 14 and a corresponding lower end wall (not shown). The open front of the box opposite to the back wall 12 is closed off by the cover 1 1 as hereinafter described. The box is normally utilized with the back wall 12 in the vertical position.

The box 10 is provided with a series of partitioning members 15 which divide the interior of the box into a plurality of compartments 16. In the preferred embodiment the partitioning members 15 are in the form of rectangular plates which are positioned transverse to the longitudinal vertical axis of the box 10 and are fix edly attached at each end to the side walls 13. The plates 15 which are equally spaced from and parallel to each other extend upwards at an incline with the vertical back wall 12.

In the preferred embodiment the cover 11 is rectangular in shape and comprises a front wall 17, side walls 18, an upper end wall 19 and a corresponding lower end wall (not shown). The inside of the cover is provided with a series of guide members 20 which in the preferred embodiment are in the form of triangular plates. The plates 20 extend downwards at an incline from the inside surface of the front wall 17 and form an angle with the front wall equal to the angle at which the partitioning plates 15 meet the back wall 12. The guide plates 20 are positioned parallel to each other and spaced so that the lower surface of each guide plate slidably contacts the upper surface of a corresponding partitioning plate 15 as better illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 The front wall 17 is provided with a series of slots 21 which extend transverse to the longitudinal axis of the box 10. In the preferred embodiment the slots 21 are positioned so that the lower edge of each slot is flush with the upper surface of a guide plate 20. It will be apparent that when the cover 11 is positioned on the box 10, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, with the plates 20 contacting the plates 15, each of the slots 21 communicates with one of the compartments 16.

When the cover 11 is mounted on the box 10, each side wall 13 of the box is positioned adjacent the respective side wall 18 of the cover 11. Each side wall 18 of the cover 1 1 is provided with two elongated guide slots 22 and each slot is axially aligned with a corresponding slotpositioned on the opposite side wall. The longitudinal axis of the slots extends in a direction parallel to the partitioning plates 15. Conventional bolts 23 are mounted in the side walls 13 of the box 10 with the shank of the bolts extending through the slots 22. The bolts 23 are provided with wing nuts 24 which serve as fastening means for fixing the cover relative to the box as hereinafter described.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that the cover 11 may be reciprocated in a direction along the incline of the plates between an extended position as illustrated in FIG. 2 and a retracted position as illustrated in FIG. 3. When the cover is reciprocated backward or forward the guide plates 20 slidably engage the plates 15 and the guide slots 22 slidably engage the bolts 23.

\ The cover may be moved over a distance equal to the length of the slots 22 and .the travel of the cover is restricted between two limiting positions when the bolts 23 contact the top or bottom end of the slots 22. It follows that the distance between the front wall 17 and the back wall 12 and hence the length of the compartments 16 may be adjusted by moving the cover in the required direction.

As better illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 the cards are positioned in the compartments 16 with the lower edge of the card contacting the back wall 12 and the upper edge of the card projecting out of the slot 21. As illustrated in FIG. 2, with the cover in the extended position, the length of card contained in the compartment 16 is designated by the letter A and the exposed length of card projecting out of the slot by the letter B. When the cover is retracted as illustrated in FIG. 3, the distance A decreases to A and the length of card exposed will increase to B, for the same length of card.

In the operation of the card holder the wing nuts 24 are slackened off and the cover 11 moved to the position required as determined by the length of the cards being handled and the length of card required to be exposed. The wing nuts 24 are then tightened against the side walls 18 to fasten the cover in fixed relation to the box and prevent further movement of the cover.

In order to mount the card holder on a display wall, the back wall 12 may be .provided with suitable openings 26 for receiving conventional fasteners. A number of card holders may be mounted on a display wall for standard in-line display. Alternatively, a number of card holders may each be attached at the side wall 13 to a vertical rotating column (not shown) for use in restricted areas when a display wall is not available.

Although the invention has been described with reference to the details of a preferred embodiment, it is to be appreciated that the invention is not limited to all of these details. It is ra er to be con idered as of scope commensurate wr the scope o the sub olne claims.

What I claim is:

1. A card holder for holding a plurality of cards comprising; a rectangular box having an open front including vertical side walls and a vertical back wall opposite the open front, a plurality of equally spaced partitioning members supported by said side walls and inclined upwardly relative to said back wall, said partitioning members forming a compartment between each pair of contiguous members, a cover slidably mounted on said box and closing said open front, said cover including a front wall positioned parallel to and opposite said back wall, said front wall having a plurality of transverse slots one of each slots opening into one of said compartments, each said cards being positioned in one of said compartments with its lower edge contacting said back wall and its upper edge projecting out of the respective slot, means mounting said cover on said box for reciprocating movement in a direction along said incline of said partitioning members whereby the distance between said front wall and said back wall may be adjusted between predetermined limits to accommodate difl'erent lengths of cards, and fastening means for releasably fixing said cover to said box at any position between said limits.

2. A card holder as defined in claim 1, said mounting means including a plurality of equally spaced guide members mounted on the inside face of said front wall and inclined downwardly relative to the front wall, said guide members slidably engaging said partitioning members and extending a distance into said compartments.

3. A card holder as defined in claims 1 or further comprising; said cover including two auxiliary side walls, each of said auxiliary walls overlapping one of said vertical side walls, two or more guide slots mounted in each of the auxiliary walls, said fastening means including two or more bolts, each bolt being mounted in one of said vertical side walls and projecting through one of said guide slots and wing nuts mounted on said bolts for releasably fixing said cover to said box. 

1. A card holder for holding a plurality of cards comprising; a rectangular box having an open front including vertical side walls and a vertical back wall opposite the open front, a plurality of equally spaced partitioning members supported by said side walls and inclined upwardly relative to said back wall, said partitioning members forming a compartment between each pair of contiguous members, a cover slidably mounted on said box and closing said open front, said cover including a front wall positioned parallel to and opposite said back wall, said front wall having a plurality of transverse slots one of each slots opening into one of said compartments, each said cards being positioned in one of said compartments with its lower edge contacting said back wall and its upper edge projectinG out of the respective slot, means mounting said cover on said box for reciprocating movement in a direction along said incline of said partitioning members whereby the distance between said front wall and said back wall may be adjusted between predetermined limits to accommodate different lengths of cards, and fastening means for releasably fixing said cover to said box at any position between said limits.
 2. A card holder as defined in claim 1, said mounting means including a plurality of equally spaced guide members mounted on the inside face of said front wall and inclined downwardly relative to the front wall, said guide members slidably engaging said partitioning members and extending a distance into said compartments.
 3. A card holder as defined in claims 1 or further comprising; said cover including two auxiliary side walls, each of said auxiliary walls overlapping one of said vertical side walls, two or more guide slots mounted in each of the auxiliary walls, said fastening means including two or more bolts, each bolt being mounted in one of said vertical side walls and projecting through one of said guide slots and wing nuts mounted on said bolts for releasably fixing said cover to said box. 